


Safe Here, Safe Now

by DawnsEternalLight



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2019 [5]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, No editing we die like mne, Poor Kiddo, Training, but Dick is here to make him feel safe, that always seems to happen when we talk about Damian's past, there's a little hug at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 07:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18441635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: When training triggers a flashback for Damian, Dick does his best to make sure his brother feels safe again.





	Safe Here, Safe Now

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Dick and Dami week 2019: Training
> 
> I went a bit angstier with this (surprise surprise) but I couldn't help but think that sometimes training or practice might trigger some bad memories for Damian.

Batman’s back pressed against Robin’s as they stepped in sync, turning in the circle of ethereal enemies. Robin’s impatient Tt could have reverberated through Dick’s spine if there wasn’t so much kevlar between them. They were on patrol, but not. Dick wanted to get Damian out of the bunker, but still focus on the coordinated moves they were working out. A strategy to take out a group of men if they were ever surrounded.

Dick counted under his breath. One. Two. Three. They sprung apart, each taking his half of their non-deadly force. Dick blocked a very real blow and ducked, shoving a heavy punch into the faceless creature’s stomach.

Batman and Robin had worked well together for the few months they’d been out in the field. They were learning each other’s moves, how to anticipate what would happen next, and how to work seamlessly as a team. Still, they had a ways to go. They’d floundered the other night, and if not for Batgirl they might have both been killed.

It had been too many men. Too many men and not enough practice between the two. Both Dick and Damian agreed that they needed to fix that. So Dick had called Zatanna for some help, and she’d hooked him up with a portable spell. A set of fake, almost ethereal dummies they could fight over and over until they worked smoothly together.

Behind him he listened, ears pricked for any noise of distress from his Robin. Non-lethal didn’t mean Zatanna’s conjured foes couldn’t bruise.

They’d run the drill a few times together, and Dick felt they were getting into the groove of things, feeling out each other’s tag team styles, and learning. It was going well. Still, he was listening for problems. It had been a long night, and no matter what Damian claimed, Dick was sure he was getting tired.

He twisted, blocking a blow from a nebulous baseball bat. He reached out and wrenched the false weapon from his attacker’s hands, throwing it to the ground where it dissipated in waves of smoke.

It was time to switch from one on one to group as the false fighters shifted heavily to face Batman. Dick stepped back and hunched slightly, expecting Robin to launch himself off his back and into the group, like they’d done a few times already.

No pressure, no boots on his back, nothing but the gradual approach of too many men, and his bird still focused on whoever he was fighting behind him.

“Robin!” Dick ordered.

He turned back to see Damian finally fell his attacker, then start in on a second one.

“Robin, Maneuver C.” Dick hated the name, but Damian had insisted on naming each of their changes as they’d worked on things, and what was the harm really?

Damian seemed to nod, so Dick turned around, right into a left hook. He stumbled backwards a few steps before he righted himself. The attackers swarmed him, and Dick distantly heard Damian shout. It took him a second to remember the command to make the trick stop and fold back in on itself.

“Pots!” he all but yelled.

And then the crush of strange smokey men was gone, chalky mist drifting around him for a moment before disappearing altogether.

He spun on Damian, “What was that?” he demanded.

Damian seemed to not know what to do. He stood, almost dumbfounded. Dick took two angry strides towards him, grabbing his arm, “Answer me, Robin. If this was a real fight one or both of us would be dead right now, so start talking.”

Grabbing his arm was a bad idea. Damian flinched, then jerked away, dropping suddenly to his knees, head bowed. Dick had no idea what was going on.

“I am ready.” he said, his tone flat, no almost dead sounding.

Ready? Dick wondered, then he noticed how Damian’s shoulders were trembling. The child was tense all over aside from the tremble that seemed to be racing through, well everything. Horror hit him in the stomach like one of the conjured enemies getting in a lucky punch. Damian was expecting a blow, maybe multiple. He was tense, body prepared to take whatever was thrown at him. 

“Damian.” Dick dropped to a knee of his own, reaching out for his brother’s shoulders. Damian flinched then seemed to catch the action freezing, like petrified wood under Dick’s palms.

“Damian, look at me.” he said, tone gentle.

Inside he was boiling. Fury rising like the tide. Ra’s. Talia. The League had done this. Had taught this child that any failure in training would result in punishment. He’d seen the scars. It was impossible not to, even when Damian tried to hide them.

And now he’d done something to trigger this response. Damian probably didn’t even know he was still in Gotham.

He tore the cowl back so Damian could see him and then gently tilted his brother’s face up, giving him a soft smile, “Hey, it’s okay. Everything’s fine. Look at me, Little Bird.”

He wished he could see Damian’s eyes behind his mask, but he didn’t want to risk reaching out to pull it back and have that misconstrued as an attack. Instead he helped Damian into a sitting position then sat back on his heels, hands loose by his sides.

Damian was still so so tense. He looked ready to either curl in on himself protectively, or fall flat again.

“Listen, we both made some mistakes tonight, but we’re both tired right?” Dick tried again, “Just tired, that’s all.”

Damian swallowed, and nodded.

“We probably should have stopped after the last practice session, but I made the mistake of pushing us on.” Dick continued.

Damian shook his head so violently his hood flopped over a shoulder, “No!” he said, “No, it was my fault. I am to blame.”

His voice shook, and Dick wanted to tear the world open for him. Wanted to tear apart everyone who’d hurt him. Bruce’s no kill rule or not.

“It was just a training exercise, Sweetest. Just practice. Nothing serious, no serious mistakes happened.” he hoped the nickname, something Damian always seemed to enjoy (and hide blushes at) would help pull him back into reality. 

His brother shook his head again, and reached out to brush a hand on Dick’s chin, probably already blooming with a bruise, “I did this.” his voice was hoarse, whisper soft.

Dick grabbed his wrist, shifting the hold to tangle their fingers together, “No, I let this happen. You did amazing.”

“Do not lie to me.”

“I’m not. We didn’t have a set drill going. We’re still learning what works and what doesn’t. We learned from this, and that’s amazing.”

Damian was still shaking. He looked down, like he didn’t believe Dick. Like he was still waiting for the first blow.

“No one is going to be punished for anything that happened tonight, okay?” Dick told him, making it clear, “You’re safe here. I promise.”

One, two shuddered breaths and Damian nodded.

“No one’s going to hurt you. No one will ever hurt you for messing up again. I swear, Damian.”

He nodded again. But he was still so tense. His shoulders rigid, his back ramrod straight. Jaw so tight Dick could see veins.

“Remember this morning?” he changed the subject, “How you finally finished your scale Batmobile? How you got it to drive?”

Dick moved his hand holding Damian’s ever so slightly so he could rub circles into his brother’s palm with his thumb.

“I couldn’t believe you’d installed a little engine in it, and remote controls. Then you told me how we might use that in some of our Batman work, and maybe even some Wayne Tech.” Dick smiled at him again, “You’re just brimming with incredible ideas.”

“You are trying to distract me.” Damian said, voice still too small.

Damian’s voice should never be that small. That timid. He was bold, confident. He was Damian. Dick wanted to crush him in a hug against himself, but held off. Only when Damian was ready. Only if he wanted a hug.

His brother pulled his hand from Dick’s, and he moved to push himself to his feet.

“I can continue with training. I am fine. I am not some weak child who cannot--”

“Whoa, hold on there.” Dick said, scrambling to stand himself, “I think we’re done for tonight.”

Damian almost managed to hid this flinch. But Dick knew him better than he knew almost anyone.

“What I mean is, it’s late, and we can only run that thing so many times before Zatanna has to give us another. We need to save some charges for later. Plus, I’m kinda hungry, and you wouldn’t want Batman fighting on an empty stomach would you?”

“Tt. No. Are you not the one always harping on eating well for strength?” Damian said, tone a little stronger now.

Dick gave him a bright smile, “I am, guess I forgot tonight.”

“We will have to rectify that.” Damian said.

“We will.” Dick agreed, “What about that little hole in the wall place we tried the other night?”

“With the fried yams?” Damian now sounded hopeful, almost excited for the situation.

Dick had to pull back a grin so he didn’t seem to eager, “That one. Benny's was it? I wanted to try their other sandwiches.”

Dick snatched up the small box containing Zatanna’s spell and the two bags they’d brought with civilian clothes in them. He’d wanted to make sure they changed out of uniform before they headed home to keep this night for training only. He tossed Damian his.

“Let’s get changed and head over. I think we’re gonna order a few rounds of those yams.”

They turned back to the car and Dick slung an arm around Damian’s shoulders to tug him close.

Damian leaned into it and said, “We will have to since I am planning to have an entire order to myself, if not more.”

Dick acknowledged that with a laugh but tugged him a little closer. Everything wasn’t perfect, Damian was still shuddering just the tiniest bit, but things were getting better. 

"You can have as many orders as you'd like."


End file.
